


Mining the Pit

by fireflysglow_archivist



Category: Firefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-08
Updated: 2006-05-08
Packaged: 2019-04-29 06:21:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14466846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fireflysglow_archivist/pseuds/fireflysglow_archivist
Summary: Jayne and River come to an understanding





	Mining the Pit

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Firefly’s Glow](https://fanlore.org/wiki/Firefly%27s_Glow), and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Firefly's Glow collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/fireflysglow/profile).
> 
>  **Author's notes:** Set after the film, minor connections to my "Full of Secrets"

  
Author's notes: Set after the film, minor connections to my "Full of Secrets"  


* * *

Mining the Pit

## Mining the Pit

Usually when he lifted, Jayne's mind was clear. He didn't like putting on music or nothin'. That was for those who thought weights was some kind of hobby. Being strong was his job. Being strong, shooting straight, having good weapons rightly cared for at the ready. Not that he didn't like his job. Mostly he did. But he didn't exercise to get to no meditative state. He just lifted. 

Today though, there was a picture in his head wouldn't go away. A scrawny girl, a pile of bodies at her feet and light from a broke through wall. Bodies, piles of 'em, of the only kind of enemy that could scare Jayne white. He didn't know if he liked that picture or not. Not but that a dead Reaver weren't the only good kind. And he had a fondness for a job well done. His daddy weren't a poetic man, but a good piece of work he'd stop just to look at. "That's right sorted, that" he'd say. Jayne had a picture in his head while he lifted. She'd sorted them Reavers alright. 

But he didn't like that gorram tiny girl in the middle of it all. She shouldn't be able to do that. Might be he was jealous. He was the strong one around here, and he was damn sure he'd not have lasted more'n a minute with that many. Captain nor Zoe wouldn't have neither. He didn't like knowing the crazy girl, less crazy now maybe but nowheres near normal yet, could take him in a fair fight. Probably with her eyes closed. 

But that weren't all of it. Might be she scared him, but hard not to respect doin' a job that well. Jayne grunted through another set before it struck him. Shouldn't have been her job. Not that anyone else could have done it, but she could do other stuff. All kinds of other stuff. He was hired muscle and he was good at it and he wouldn't have been near as good at nothin' else. She could've done...well probably anything else she wanted, near about. He chose this job. Mostly he liked it. What ticked him off about the picture in his head was that she hadn't had no choice but to be good at it. Like the kids back at home who went down the mines 'cause what else could you do that paid enough to eat on? Like his brother who got the damp lung, doin' just that. 

Jayne realized that picture in his head looked too much like sights he'd seen before he left home, a scrawny kid with a pickaxe, surrounded by piles of tailings, only light from a lamp on the other side of the pit. And both pictures made him itch to bust something up. Or better, someone. But no one within reach was to blame, really. So he just lifted. 

But addin' more weight, tryin' two more sets, that was plain stupid. Muscles cramping, he fought, fought to lift the bar back to the rack, keep from dropping it and breaking his ribs. Eyes closed, teeth gritted, cursing himself for maxing out without a spotter. A moment before he lost the battle, hands gripped the bar between his own, gave him just enough help to rack it. He opened his eyes, blinking in the odd dimness till he realized River was bent over the bar, her curtain of hair blocking the light. 

"Damn." He let his arms drop wearily. "Rescued by a 90 pound girl." 

She smiled at him. Looked odd, with her face still upside down. "Again." 

At that he grunted. "Stand up so's I can sit up, moonbrain." 

River obliged. She climbed a pile of boxes in the cargo bay, lay down on top of one, looking down as he sat up on the bench, resting his tired arms on his knees. "It's better now. I mine the pit. It doesn't mine me." 

He managed to lift an arm, enough to wipe sweat away. "Get outa my head. 'Specially if you're not gonna make no sense of it." 

She shrugged. "Mostly try not to come in without invitation. But you thought of me first. Pulls me through the door." 

"So I'll not think on you no more." He began to put the weights away. 

"Mal says: had no choice to be deadly. Have a choice what I do with it now. Crew gave me that. You helped." 

Jayne blinked at her. Atop the boxes, flat on her stomach, him standing, they were eye to eye. For a moment he saw the child in the pit. Saw her surrounded with bodies. Then suddenly, she made a weird kind of sense. "Some days you mine the pit, huh?" 

She nodded. "But it does not mine me." 

"And most days there are other ways you earn your keep." 

"Piloting the ship. Plotting the heist. Spotting the mercenary." 

"Right. Might as well be of some use." 

She rolled off the boxes, landing gracefully on her feet like a cat. "Return the favor?" 

He glanced at the weight set. Grinned at her. "Whatcha bench, little girl?" 

"Let's find out." 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title:   **Mining the Pit**   
Author:   **Cedar**   
Details:   **Standalone**  |  **G**  |  **gen**  |  **4k**  |  **05/08/06**   
Characters:  Jayne, River   
Summary:  Jayne and River come to an understanding   
Notes:  Set after the film, minor connections to my "Full of Secrets"   
  



End file.
